TOMKINS: COMETH THE HOUR, COMETH THE KID Paul Tomkins 02 February 2009
	Despair is fine, it's the hope I can't stand. That saying sums up Liverpool's season.
So a warning – get a hard hat. Why? Because the hope is back, and with hope comes the increased risk of disappointment. So whatever happens from now on, let's keep that in mind. And perhaps, if possible, adjust our reactions accordingly. Of course, Liverpool are now playing catch-up, and rightly second-favourites, so the hope won't increase quite as much as it did over the festive period. But at least the Reds are now close enough to put some pressure on the leaders, whilst getting a little breathing space from the chasing pack. You clearly need luck to win trophies. You make a lot of your own, but you also need to ride it at the right moments. And you need your best players available more often than not. A fit and in-form Torres has been absent too often this season. Not only have three injuries seen him miss around half the season and start just ten league games, but his rehabilitation has meant he's often played in search of fitness rather than goals. Given the problems he had, it was sensible of Benítez to take him off at Wigan rather than risk him missing the Chelsea game, and that decision paid double dividends: no injury, and two goals in the more crucial 'six-pointer'. Fifteen minutes on the bench is better than 15 weeks on the sidelines. That's the lot of a manager: unwelcome gambles, 'Sophie's choices', and trying to get it right (or be lucky) more often than not. If Torres had stayed on with Liverpool still leading 1-0 on Wednesday, then got a late recurrence of the hamstring problem, where would we be now? Torres' confidence had understandably been a little dented as a result of the constant injuries and the fight for sharpness in an unforgiving league, but cometh the hour, cometh the kid. Or rather, cometh the 88th minute, cometh the kid. To me, when Liverpool were winning games late on earlier in the season, it was a sign of quality. Good teams do that. But when Manchester United do it, it's treated like they are from another planet, whereas the Reds get accused of being lucky. Neither is true. Similarly, so much is made of the importance of Gerrard and Torres, but I don't recall United doing too well without Ronaldo earlier this season, or at times in the past. I do think United have a bit more strength in depth, due to Ferguson having been building his current squad with often-expensive signings (as well as some bargains) dating back to 2001, and with four home-grown stalwarts (Giggs, Scholes, Neville and Brown) dating back to between 1991 and 1998. And they have recent success behind them that clearly makes it easier. But they would surely not be as well-placed had Ronaldo missed as much football (and naturally suffered rustiness as a result) as Torres. You can win games without your most reliable match-winners, but rarely trophies. Against Chelsea, Liverpool had both luck and their main men looking sharp. The Lampard sending off clearly helped, but it was a great performance even with 11 versus 11, with only one team looking like winners. I'm still smarting from Mike Riley not giving the Reds a penalty and Tiago a red card after he punched off the line in January 2005. That helped Chelsea do the double over the Reds, their first since 1955, which was the previous time they'd won the league; Liverpool will be hoping the omen works in reverse, as the previous time the Reds did the double over them was 1989-90. So I felt this was redemption in the form of a favourable decision. There was also the broken ankle Xabi Alonso suffered in a bad tackle by Lampard in the same game, so it was perhaps four years overdue. But how Boswinga got away with his assault on Benayoun's back still baffles. Credit to Phil Scolari for a fabulously honest assessment of the game afterwards: Lampard shouldn't have gone, Boswinga should have, and Liverpool were the better team for the entire game. Chelsea offered no threat whatsoever despite their manager being appointed for his teams' attacking qualities, while at the other end Alex's blocks were outstanding, otherwise Torres could have had five. The Reds hit the bar, and two further shots were cleared off the line, not to mention rebounds from spilled Petr Cech saves and several more promising positions and near-miss efforts, including a couple from Yossi Benayoun (who continues to add important cameo moments to his campaign). Before the season began, most observers and fans said that Liverpool need to start better and at least be in contention come the second half of the season, and that the Reds had to do much better against the other 'big four' clubs. All these were being done before the Chelsea game, with only one defeat in 23 games, but despair and resignation were everywhere. I understood some of the frustration, but you cannot escape iffy spells in a season. And you have to accept that Liverpool are the team learning, growing, and moving up to a new challenge (by post-1990 standards), whereas Manchester United and Chelsea have been in a position of strength for a number of years now. Let's also not forget that Chelsea and United have broken fairly significant records this season: longest run of away wins and most consecutive clean sheets. Neither of them has had a perfect season, either, but that's the story of these past six months. Liverpool now need to prove that the iffy spell is over, and that, as I said last week, the draws were the dodgy games that other teams (and this team at other times) would have lost. In terms of a boost to confidence and momentum, this game was perfect. Hopefully, rather than be a hindrance, the Everton replay can act as a double-springboard after this overdue victory. What Liverpool desperately needed was a win, and a home win at that. Next on the list would have been a goal or two for Torres, particularly at Anfield. After a few untidy goals conceded of late, a clean sheet would be high on the agenda too. Whether or not Robbie Keane played was obviously important to him and to the media, but as at Newcastle when he was rested following three goals in two starts (at a busy time of the season), the story has to be about who plays, and the results the team gets. I feel for any player who is omitted, but plenty have to miss out each and every week, and sympathy isn't extended to them all. Support has to be given to those selected, and what they can offer. Liverpool may have only broken through once Gerrard was back in central midfield, but I do not see a lot wrong with his partnership with Torres, which has to be up there with the best in the world. Indeed, in the first 15 minutes of the second half, Gerrard was outstanding, easily his best minutes against Chelsea in recent memory, while the Spaniard showed that, when fit and in the groove, he's almost unstoppable. So the good mood is back, the smiles are once again broad on our faces. But whatever happens from now on, let's try and enjoy the challenge, and not see every setback as the end of the world. This victory does not mean the title is Anfield-bound, just as any failure to win in future does not end the season on the spot.